Mercedes axes EV vans, cites nonexistent demand

Mercedes has always believed that electric vehicle has some market and for which they have even introduced quite a few electric vehicles such as the B-Class Electric Drive and SLS AMG Electric Drive, but their future in this segment could be short-lived if the Vito E-Cell is any indication.

Mercedes van boss Volker Mornhinweg recently stated in an interview that demand for electric or hybrid vans is virtually nonexistent. He further stated that the company received good response initially when several hundred orders were done when the Vito E-Cell was launched but demand quickly disappeared. As a result future electric vans have been axed and put into hibernation mode by the company.

In related news, Mornhinweg gave a hint that the next-generation Vito and Citan could be offered in the markets of United States. He further revealed that the Viano may quite likely adopt a new name when the redesigned model comes to market.